Mangrove project creates hope in Eritrea

iol.com 14 Apr 08;

Hirgigo, Eritrea - Kneeling by the sparkling waters of the Red Sea, Ahmed Shengabay presses sand carefully over a mangrove seed. "When this grows, it will provide protection for fish and food for my goats," Ahmed said smiling, waving at a long and thick line of tall trees already reaching high into the sky.

"We've planted all this already," the fisherman cum farmer added proudly, the mangroves lining the shore beside his small desert village of Hirgigo. "The little fish like the mangroves, the big fish like the little fish - and we like the big fish."

The seed-planting is part of a remarkable yet low-tech pilot project, designed as a model to improve the lives of desert coastal communities by using the salt-water trees to increase fish numbers, provide feed to raise livestock - and combat desertification.

Like many of the small villages scattered along Eritrea's Red Sea coast, Hirgigo is a harsh place to live.

The region is reputedly one of the hottest inhabited places on earth, with temperatures soaring well above 40°C for much of the year, combined with an average annual rainfall of less than two centimetres.

The sun beats down hard on a dusty plain dotted with palm trees, squeezed between barren mountains and the sea.

"It's a tough land," said Simon Tecleab, a marine scientist who has been working on the project for the past ten years.

"Before, after the rains stopped, the villagers would have to go far to find food for their animals or they would just starve," he added.

Much of the original mangrove forest was destroyed by overgrazing by camels or cutting for firewood or the building of homes and boats.

But today, along the shore, mangrove trees stretch in a tall green band along some seven kilometres of coast and over 100 metres thick, a budding ecosystem acting as nursery grounds for fish, crabs and oysters.

The mangroves - now protected by fences from hungry livestock - have therefore become crucial to the villagers.

"Mangrove leaves and excess seeds are carefully gathered so as not to damage the plants, then used as fodder for sheep and goats," Simon added, who teaches at Eritrea's College of Marine Sciences and Technologies in the port of Massawa, ten kilometres to the north.

Somalia, Djibouti, Mexico and Peru could be next At Hirgigo, research into planting mangroves began a decade ago, challenging conventional wisdom that the saltwater plants also needed fresh water to grow -- a major limitation in the arid regions where the trees are needed most.

Mangroves grow along some 15 per cent of Eritrea's 1 350 kilometre long coastline, mainly in areas where seasonal freshwater streams run into the sea.

But Dr Gordon Sato - a respected American bio-chemist and member of the US National Academy of Sciences - reasoned that the trees needed not the freshwater but the minerals the streams brought from inland.

Planting low-cost slow-release fertilizer packs of nitrogen, phosphorous and iron alongside each seed, Sato and his team from the Eritrean Ministry of Fisheries found they were able to plant mangroves in areas even previously uninhabited by the trees.

"It opens up seemingly unproductive land to produce food, alleviate hunger and create wealth," Sato said, who named the scheme the Manzanar Project, after the US internment camp in the Californian desert where, as a Japanese-American citizen, he spent the Second World War.

Sato, who saw there how plants could be grown even in the harshest of conditions, believes that the simple technology of the project can be applied elsewhere in the world to counteract the global impact of deforestation, tackle poverty and bring desert areas into agricultural production.

"Countries such as Somalia, Djibouti, Mexico, and Peru immediately come to mind," the 80-year old scientist said.

Residents say the project has had a massive impact on the community of about 3 000 people.

"There are already lots more fish to catch than before, and some day it will be full of big shrimps," Ahmed said, crouching to place a protective rusty tin can over the seed.

Nothing from the mangroves is wasted.

"We burn the dry branches remaining for cooking, which is a great help," said an elderly women, heaving a large bundle of sticks onto her back.

In the village, bare-foot children kick a half-deflated football between two huts, patched with ragged cloth reinforced with scraps of tin cans hammered flat.

The dust swirls as Halima Shifa Idriss, one of several women in the village who work planting the tree seeds, feeds her plump sheep with mangrove clippings.

"There were four sheep, now I have eight," Halima said, laughing as the animals reach up greedily to snatch another mangrove branch.

"That has made a big difference for my family."

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Moth spraying's impact worries some

Garance Burke, Associated Press Yahoo News 14 Apr 08;

As the state prepares to spray the San Francisco Bay Area with pesticides to fight an invasive moth, local officials are worrying not only about the potential impact on human health, but on local commerce as well.

State environmental health experts announced last week that illnesses reported by hundreds of residents after the first round of aerial spraying on California's central coast couldn't conclusively be linked to the pest eradication effort.

Still, public uncertainty alone could slow summer tourism, drive residents out of town and cause real estate agents to ask clients if they want to buy property in the proposed spray zone, local officials say.

"If there's spray residue on the grass, are people going to feel safe going to Golden Gate Park?" asked Mark Westlund, a spokesman for San Francisco's Department of the Environment. "Tourism is what keeps this city floating, and if people are worried about coming here because they could get sprayed on, that could have an impact."

Last fall, state agriculture officials sent up planes that dropped a chemical mist on Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, where the light brown apple moth population was quickly multiplying.

The campaign was meant to safeguard valuable crops and to help infested plant nurseries in Soquel and neighboring towns, which were losing millions of dollars after being quarantined.

After the first round of spraying, at least 487 people reported feeling symptoms ranging from itchy eyes to breathing trouble.

Despite the state's assurances that the symptoms can't be firmly linked to the spray — a low dose of a synthetic pheromone mixture approved for use on organically grown crops — residents and officials farther north are getting nervous.

In Marin County, real estate agents are considering amending their disclosure forms to tell future home buyers about the aerial sprays scheduled in the Bay Area this summer and advising them to consult a doctor for more information before closing a deal, said Levi Swift, president of the Marin Association of Realtors.

Though analysts say the spray is unlikely to have any lasting effects on properties in the spray zone or on the real estate market, attorneys say it is wise to notify buyers to ward off potential lawsuits.

"If my real estate agent had knowledge of the spraying activity and didn't tell me, I could certainly sue for misrepresentation," said Lewis Feldman, a senior partner with Goodwin Procter in Los Angeles. "The fact that the government says something isn't harmful doesn't prevent people from filing suit."

In Santa Cruz, Mayor Ryan Coonerty said he was hoping businesses wouldn't take a hit if a rush of people left town or if tourists stayed away in June, when the city is scheduled for a second aerial treatment.

Sunita Chethik, who lived in Santa Cruz for 30 years, said pheromone droplets drifted into her bedroom during spraying in November, causing her immune system to collapse. She recently moved to Santa Fe, N.M., to avoid further exposure, and activists with the California Alliance to Stop the Spray say dozens more people are considering similar relocations.

"The plane was making a pass, and (the spray) came in through an open window and landed directly on us. It smelled like Raid," recalled Chethik, who had a pre-existing case of chronic fatigue. "They're poisoning people, and the only choice they're giving us is to leave."

So far, the moth has had the most palpable effect on those who can't leave: farmers.

The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau estimates that wholesale and retail nurseries lost $2.8 million in forgone sales and investments toward fighting the moth from April to December 2007.

Chris Pavlos manages a nursery in Soquel, where seven larvae were found rolled into tiny sacs nestled in individual plant leaves.

The moths didn't visibly damage the plants. But the discovery led to a two-day shutdown of the nursery, which caused a $50,000 loss in sales.

Pavlos said he's spent a similar amount hiring moth hunters to scour Soquel Nursery Growers' 14 acres, looking for larvae and treating shrubs with insecticides.

"It's very difficult to get any real rest when they're inspecting you every two weeks," he said. "Even so, we're just not seeing the kind of damages to plants they keep talking about."

According to the U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture, the Australian insect threatens more than 2,000 varieties of California plants and crops and could destroy up to $560 million worth of fruits and vegetables in a year.

Spraying is to occur only in areas that can't be treated through ground-based strategies.

State Secretary of Food and Agriculture A. G. Kawamura said the effort was necessary not only to protect agriculture industry, but to save landmarks such as Golden Gate Park, home to many species the USDA considers host plants.

"One side says it's a voracious pest and the other side says it isn't," said Ken Corbishley, agriculture commissioner in Santa Cruz County. "The one thing that is true is that local folks are being impacted."

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Japan kills 551 Antarctic whales, short of target

Reuters 14 Apr 08;

TOKYO (Reuters) - Repeated "sabotage" by activists forced Japan's whaling fleet to catch only 551 whales in the Antarctic, far short of its target under what it calls an annual research whaling program, the Fisheries Agency said on Monday.

Japan had planned to catch about 850 minke whales in the Antarctic during the hunting season.

"We caught 551 minke whales, far below our original target," said a Fisheries Agency official. "Sabotage by activists is a major factor behind our failure to achieve our target."

Militant anti-whaling campaigners from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society had repeatedly confronted Japan's whaling fleet earlier this year.

Last month, members of the Sea Shepherd group threw bottles and containers of foul-smelling substances at a whaling ship in an attempt to disrupt the hunt, resulting in three sailors complaining of eye irritation.

The incident followed a high-profile standoff in January in which two activists boarded another Japanese whaling ship, forcing it to suspend whaling for a month.

Japan also planned to hunt 50 fin whales, but the fleet failed to catch any due partly because of confrontations with the anti-whaling campaigners, the official said.

"Sabotage is not entirely to blame for that. There was a situation where few fin whales were spotted."

International criticism forced Japan to give up a plan to catch 50 humpback whales under the program.

The clashes sparked a spate of diplomatic complaints between Japan and Australia.

The Australian government has promised to try to stop Japan's whaling program and is considering international legal action, although the two countries have agreed not to let the issue hurt ties.

Japanese coast guard and police will inspect the country's whaling fleet this week after the clashes with the conservation activists, local media reported on Sunday.

The six-ship fleet is expected to return home on Tuesday.

Japan, which considers whaling a cultural tradition, abandoned commercial whaling after agreeing to an international whaling moratorium in 1986. But arguing that the hunt is necessary to study whales, Japan began what it calls a scientific research whaling program the following year.

Japan's whaling fleet has killed about 7,000 Antarctic minkes over the past 20 years.

(Reporting by Teruaki Ueno; Editing by David Fogarty)

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Bangladesh faces climate change refugee nightmare

Masud Karim, Reuters 13 Apr 08;

DHAKA (Reuters) - Abdul Majid has been forced to move 22 times in as many years, a victim of the annual floods that ravage Bangladesh.

There are millions like Majid, 65, in Bangladesh and in the future there could be many millions more if scientists' predictions of rising seas and more intense droughts and storms come true.

"Bangladesh is already facing consequences of a sea level rise, including salinity and unusual height of tidal water," said Mizanur Rahman, a research fellow with the London-based International Institute for Environmental Development.

"In the future, millions of people will lose their land and houses. Their survival will be threatened," Rahman told Reuters.

Experts say a third of Bangladesh's coastline could be flooded if the sea rises one meter in the next 50 years, creating an additional 20 million Bangladeshis displaced from their homes and farms. This is about the same as Australia's population.

Saline water will creep deeper inland, fouling water supplies and crops and livestock will also suffer, experts say.

Government officials and NGOs estimate about 10 million people are already threatened by annual floods and storms damaging riverine and coastal islands.

It is unclear how the government could feed, house or find enough clean water for vast numbers of climate refugees in a country of 140 million people crammed into an area of 55,500 sq miles.

"We are taking steps to face the threats of climate change. Bangladesh needs $4 billion to build embankments, cyclone shelters, roads and other infrastructure in the next 15 years to mitigate the threats," Mohammad Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, the top bureaucrat in the government's Economic Relations Division, told Reuters.

"These are big challenges and only time will say how efficiently we address them, including finding accommodation for the displaced millions," he said.

GLOBAL WARMING, NATURAL DISASTERS

In a taste of what the future might look like, Bangladesh suffered two massive floods and a cyclone last year that together killed about 4,500 people, made at least two million homeless and destroyed 1.8 million tonnes of rice, the country's main staple.

Even without the additional threat of global warming, the country's future is under pressure from a rising population and shrinking farmland.

The country lost a third of its agricultural land to accommodate more people as the population rose from 75 million in 1971.

Bangladesh has been able to increase food grain production to nearly 30 million tonnes from less than half that in the early 1980s because of better farming practices and high-yielding varieties of rice.

But many believe Bangladesh has reached saturation point in producing grains, while the population is still growing at nearly 2 percent annually.

The World Bank thinks Bangladesh should change cultivation practices to boost food security, plant large areas of forest in flood-prone areas along rivers and the coast and build embankments.

"We are conducting various studies to find options to save future environmental refugees," said Sakil Ahmed Ferdausi, a World Bank executive in Dhaka.

"The environmental refugee situation will turn into a dangerous problem in the future and the Bangladeshi government may find it difficult to face the challenge. So we asked donors to help the country," Ziaul Haque Mukta, of Oxfam International in Dhaka, said.

For Majid, the issues are more immediate.

He lives on Batikamari island on the Januma river, 300 km (180 miles) north of Dhaka and fears his remaining days will be spent on the run from the river, which is constantly creating and retaking land, depending on the season.

There are millions like him. Some have found temporary shelter, mostly on other islands in the rivers that emerge when water levels drop during the summer.

Government and non-government organizations (NGOs) are trying to help Majid and others.

Friendship, a Bangladeshi NGO, is providing houses, latrines, capital for agriculture, pumps for irrigation among the poor people in the river islands.

"Migration rate is very high among the islanders," Runa Khan, executive director of Friendship, told Reuters. "We have covered 3.5 million people in Bangladesh's riverine islands but many more are still left."

Friendship operates a floating hospital to provide health care to the islanders. It has treated 600,000 people since 2001.

But climate change could wipe out their nomadic lifestyle altogether.

"Where will all these people go?" asked Mohammad Nurul Islam, a resident of Cox's Bazar on the shore of the Bay of Bengal.

(Writing by Anis Ahmed; editing by David Fogarty and Megan Goldin)

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Indonesia's thirsty capital is a sinking city

Aubrey Belford, Yahoo News 13 Apr 08;

Separated by a road and a viscous finger of black, garbage-choked water, the stilt-house slum of Muara Baru and the BMW car dealership that faces it appear as if from different worlds.

But on December 6, 2025, these two extremes of the Indonesian capital will have something in common as a World Bank study shows that unless action is taken, they and much of the coastal city of 12 million will be submerged by seawater.

Experts have pinpointed that date as the next peak of an 18.6-year astronomical cycle, when sea levels will rise enough to engulf much of Indonesia's low-lying capital.

Climate change is causing sea levels to rise, but the study's authors say the main problem is that Jakarta is sinking under the weight of out-of-control development.

"The major reason for this is not climate change or whatever, but just the sinking of Jakarta," says JanJaap Brinkman, an engineer with Dutch consultancy Delft Hydraulics who worked with the World Bank on the study.

"We can exactly predict to what extent the sea will come into Jakarta."

By 2025, estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change show, sea levels will have risen by only about five centimetres (two inches).

But Brinkman says Jakarta, which spans a flat plain between mountains and coast, will be between 40 and 60 centimetres lower than it is now.

The study shows that without better defences, in 2025 the sea will reach the presidential palace around five kilometres (three miles) inland as well as completely inundating Jakarta's historic old city to the north.

December 6 will be the highest point of the tidal cycle, but Brinkman warns there are likely to be plenty of floods before then.

Brinkman blames the swelling city's over-development, which is compressing the land it is built on.

The problem has been exacerbated by factories, hotels and wealthy residents drilling deep water bores to bypass the city's shambolic water grid, sucking out the groundwater and causing further subsidence.

The World Bank has called for a halt to deep groundwater extraction, and the city administration has raised the price of groundwater but so far there has been little progress.

"If you do nothing about the groundwater problem, parts of Jakarta will sink five metres (by 2025)," Brinkman says.

A glimpse of the future can be seen in the shacks of Muara Baru, where the city's north meets the sea, and where flood levels late last year reached up to two metres.

The few trees that shaded this fishing slum were underwater for so long they are now dead and bare.

Muara Baru is bordered by just the kind of high-rise towers, luxury homes and mega-malls that are pushing the area into the sea.

There is little water to drink in the slum itself -- around 40 percent of Jakarta's population is not connected to the water grid, said Achmad Lanti, the city's water regulator.

Jakarta's water was privatised in 1997 in the hope of improving services. But Lanti said the two foreign operators brought in to run it had failed to live up to pledges to bring water to 75 percent of the population by 2007.

The shortage leaves many Jakartans with limited options: buy the water at a marked-up price, dig for it, or steal it.

Around half of the water from Jakarta's pipes disappears through a combination of leaks and theft, Lanti said.

"Sometimes (those who steal) are only individuals, sometimes they form a kind of organised crime, what I call a water mafia," he said.

In Muara Baru, Sayong, a 65-year-old grandmother, and Aris, who says he is in his 70s, skid down hill holding a push-cart filled with jugs of fresh water.

Each day Sayong fills three carts full of water from a pump and sells it on to other residents. After using the water she needs and selling the rest, Sayong, who lives with two adult children and two grandchildren, said she earns a maximum of 20,000 rupiah (2.20 dollars) a day.

Her tiny income means she has no option but to stay in Muara Baru, where the floods are a constant threat.

"It's serious, I can't sleep because I'm always afraid that there will be flooding from the sea," she says.

The waste-filled canal that runs up to the slum's edge shows the effect of the city's chaotic development.

Massive buildings have taken over natural drainage sites, while human waste and rubbish clog waterways, causing freshwater floods that surge up from the ground during the rainy season.

The drainage system built by the Dutch who once ruled Jakarta is unable to cope with the city's rapid growth, said Hongjoo Hahm, the top infrastructure specialist at the World Bank in Indonesia.

"Every year we get floods," he says. "The scale of the floods (the Dutch) were talking about every 25 years are happening every year."

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China Drought Leaves 670,000 Without Drinking Water

PlanetArk 14 Apr 08;

BEIJING - A drought in China's northeast Liaoning province has left nearly 700,000 people without drinking water after rainfall in the first three months of 2008 tumbled to one-fifth levels last year, the Xinhua agency said on Sunday.

The area is a top grain producer, and maize and rice farming is due to begin next week, but from January to the end of March it had got less than 2 centimetres (less than an inch) of rain.

Some 66 reservoirs have dried up, but the area has raised cash to build 1,700 new wells and expand and upgrade water conservation systems to try and ensure spring planting can go ahead, Xinhua said, citing local sources.

China's weather administration said in early April that drought parching other parts of northern China was the worst in several decades and would continue this month.

Drought and floods are perennial problems in China, which has per capita water resources that are well below the global average. Its meteorologists have said global climate change is exacerbating extreme weather, including droughts.

About 30 million Chinese in the countryside and more than 20 million in urban areas face drinking water shortages every year despite huge government investment to address the problem.

Across China, by March 26, 19.4 million hectares (48 million acres) of arable land had been hit by the drought, including 3.3 million hectares (8.15 million acres) of cropland.

(Reporting by Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

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Solomon Premier to Stop Export of Live Dolphins

Premier Lokopio to Stop Export of Live Dolphins from Western Province
Solomon Times Online 31 Mar 08;

The International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute is thanking Mr. Alex Lokopio, Premier of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, for rejecting the capture and export of live dolphins.

Mr. Alex Lokopio, Premier, stated that no dolphins would be caught and no dolphins would be exported; instead, he said, the dolphins of the Western Provinces of the Solomon Islands would remain free.

Premier Lokopio was responding to concerns that Earth Island would not allow global companies to catch and export tuna from the Solomon's if the government allowed exploitation of wild dolphins for captivity, a violation of the international standards for Dolphin Safe tuna.

Trafficking in live dolphins has become a lucrative source of funds for international operators who sell such dolphins to aquariums and "swim-with-dolphins" programs that are popular in tourist spots. These dolphin traffickers are especially active in countries that do not have strong environmental laws. But the wild dolphins involved often die during the capture and transport process, and have shortened life spans in captivity.

"We are very pleased Premier Lokopio has come out so forcefully against the trafficking in Solomon Islands dolphins from the Western Provinces," stated David Phillips, Director of the International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island. "Dolphins are worth more to the people of the Solomon Islands alive in the wild, as part of a careful eco-tourism program, rather than putting them through the stress of captures and exports, providing a few dolphin traffickers with money at the expense of the Solomon's' natural heritage."

Lawrence Makili, a representative of Earth Island in the Solomon Islands and a member of the city council of Honiara, stated that being a tourist hotspot Premier Lokopio has wisely put a stop to this exploitive scheme. "We thank the Premier and pledge to work with him and the people of the Western Provinces to protect dolphins and other marine life," said Mr. Makili.

While this may be seen as a victory for proponents of the ban, dolphins can still be exported from other areas in the Solomon Islands, as the previous government removed a ban on the capture and export of these dolphins last year. Earth Island is now targeting Singapore as there are talks that they may be interested.

Earth Island staff has also vowed to end the exploitation of wild dolphins in the Solomon Islands as part of its global program to prevent the killing of dolphins in tuna nets and to stop cruel captures of wild dolphins for captivity.

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Scientists find rare species of mangrove in the Philippines

Yolanda Sotelo-Fuertes, Philippines Inquirer 14 Apr 08;

DAGUPAN CITY—Scientists have found a rare species of mangrove in what they described as a unique environmental setting in Masinloc, Zambales.

“It’s a hybrid mangrove called Rhizophora x lamarckii produced by ‘bakauan lalaki’ (Rhizophora apiculata) and ‘bakauan bato’ (Rhyzophora stylosa),” Severino Salmo, a mangrove researcher, told the Inquirer.

Salmo, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in marine science at the University of Queensland in Australia, said the species was so rare that there was only one tree found on Panay Island in Eastern Visayas.

He and his professor, Dr. Norman Duke, are studying the restoration of mangrove ecology in the Philippines and Australia. Duke is a principal research fellow of the University of Queensland’s Center for Marine Studies.

Salmo said he and Duke found 12 trees of the mangrove species (it has no local name yet) in a five-hectare mangrove-formed island (where no other vegetation except mangroves are found) called Yaha by Masinloc residents.

The island is some 5 kilometers from the mainland. From afar, it seems to be a pure stand of bakauan lalaki and bakauan bato, according to Salmo.

“Doctor Duke, however, noticed one mangrove towering over other trees. At closer look, the leaves are greener. Upon collecting specimens and evaluating its flowers, he confirmed that it was a mangrove hybrid called Rhizophora x lamarckii produced by bakauan lalaki and bakauan bato,” Salmo said.

He said he and Duke found only a single tree of the species on Panay Island. In Masinloc, however, they saw at least 12 trees. The species can be found in other countries, like India, but it is also rare there, Salmo said.

Protect parent plants

The newly discovered mangrove species has an average diameter of 5.5 centimeters and height of six meters.

“The findings can be considered the first record of such species in Luzon. As hybrids are sterile, they cannot reproduce. The only way to conserve it is to protect the population of its parent plants,” Salmo said.

He said local officials and the community were not aware of the existence of the rare species in their midst.

“We informed Masinloc Mayor Jessu Edora about it and he said the local government would declare the site a marine protected area. He also ordered an immediate patrol in the area,” Salmo said.

The two researchers were looking for study sites to compare natural and planted mangroves when they found in Masinloc a natural mangrove area with environmental characteristics similar to those found in Lingayen Gulf. They found Yaha with the help of local officials and fishermen.

“It was difficult to find natural sites as most, if not all, areas have been severely disturbed or degraded. Natural mangroves in the Philippines are very rare now given the massive cutting and conversion to aquaculture ponds. The Philippines already lost 70 to 80 percent of its natural mangroves,” Salmo said.

Special place

Yaha can be considered a special place and is different from other mangroves because it is located in a natural environment where mangroves developed over a long period, the researcher said. While there were some observed cuttings and encroachments, the area can still be considered relatively undisturbed, he said.

“It is being used by locals as a docking place when they go fishing. The surrounding water is a rich fishing ground for small fishermen,” Salmo said.

He said older residents in Masinloc told him that the mangrove-formed island had been there for at least 80 years. It also served as a hiding place for Filipino soldiers during World War II, he said.

The study, which Salmo and Duke are undertaking, aims to understand the environmental impact of mangrove areas converted to other uses. They also want to find out how long planted mangroves would resemble the forest structure of natural mangroves.

Salmo said the study would give conservationists and environmental managers a “realistic idea” of how much mangrove planting projects can achieve over a certain period.

The study is timely, considering the extent of mangrove cutting in the country and the various efforts at rehabilitating mangrove areas through massive planting projects, he said. Its sites for the planted mangroves have been designated in the western part of Lingayen Gulf, covering the towns of Bolinao, Anda and Bani and Alaminos City, where Salmo spent 12 years of research.

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Best of our wild blogs: 14 Apr 08

Anecdotal observations of stress at Chek Jawa recently
making sense of the recent observations of stressed sea stars, sea cucumbers and other marinelife at Chek Jawa recently on the cj project blog

A new urchin on Cyrene
on the budak blog

ButterflyCircle re-discovers the Sylhet Oakblue
on the butterflies of singapore blog

Finding Nemo on Sentosa
a Biophilia Programme on the lekowala! blog

Chek Jawa: May Day Outreach Unveils 2008 Logo
on the Flying Fish Friends blog

Chek Jawa boardwalk with Outward Bound Singapore
on the Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs blog and the wildfilms blog.

Barbet, woodpecker, myna and an empty nesting cavity
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

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Singapore on track to hit 60% recycling rate by 2012

Channel NewsAsia 13 Apr 08;

SINGAPORE: Singapore is on track to achieve the recycling rate of 60 per cent by 2012, says the National Environmental Agency (NEA).

In an effort to get more Singaporeans to recycle, a group of teens spent time on Sunday to redesign some familiar recycling bins.

Last year, Singaporeans generated 5.6 million tonnes of trash. But they also recycled about half or 3 million of it.

And the recycling rate among Singapore households climbed to 63 per cent - about four times higher than that in 2001.

Even though more Singaporeans are recycling, some are still placing objects in the wrong bins.

NEA says about 10 to 20 per cent of the objects found in the recycling bins are actually un-recyclable trash. - CNA/ir

Recycling gets a colourful boost
Today Online 14 Apr 08;

More Singaporeans are recycling, partly because recycling bins have been made more accessible, but the ubiquitous green bins have also become a depository for some not-so-green items.

Between 10 and 20 per cent of what goes into the recycling bins actually belongs in rubbish bins and has to be taken out, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA). These are materials that cannot be recycled or that require considerable effort to clean because of oil, food and other contamination. Some examples include discarded packaging, disposable cutlery and plastic packaging.

The NEA hopes to cut out the rubbish from the bins, which each collect on average about 100kg of materials a month. "We are happy that more people are recycling. However, more can be done to educate some people on the proper way to use recycling," said chief executive officer Lee Yuen Hee.

For a start, a few bins will be getting more than just the appropriate labels. The NEA has given a makeover to 12 bins that will be placed along Orchard Road.

A group of students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Orchid Park Secondary and NEA's Youth Environmental Envoys have redesigned the bins in bright colours to raise more awareness about the proper use of recycling bins.

The event yesterday at the Youth Park is a lead-up to a Youth Eco Concert, which will be held on Saturday at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza. It is touted to be the first carbon-neutral concert in Singapore — one way to gain admittance will be to bring some recyclables to the concert.

The recycling rate among Singapore households has climbed to 63 per cent, about four times higher than that in 2001. Last year, Singaporeans recycled 54 per cent, or over three million tonnes, of the 5.6 million tonnes of trash generated, up from 40 per cent in 2001. Singapore is on track to achieve the recycling rate of 60 per cent by 2012, said NEA.

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Farm fun on Singapore vacations

More farms going into agri-tainment for extra income
Hong Xinyi, Straits Times 14 Apr 08;

CITY-SLICKERS here can now go a little bit country if they want to.

And the place to do it is in Singapore's boondocks, where farms are re-inventing themselves.

Sure, these farms are where you can buy fresh produce - but think also hotel-style villas with terraces looking out onto fields of bananas. Think spa, seafood restaurant and beer garden with a live band playing by night.

This is what visitors can expect from a stay at the 5ha D'Kranji Farm Resort when it opens in September in north-western Singapore.

Run by Indonesia-based HLH Agri-International, this $10-million venture is the latest and most costly instance of how farms here are marketing themselves.

Termed agri-tainment, this business concept draws people to out-of-the-way farms with restaurants, cafes and farm-stay opportunities.

Smaller farms can stay viable with this new income.

To date, eight farms out of 228 here have visitor amenities like food outlets and souvenir shops, said the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority.

HLH hopes to attract 500,000 visitors to D'Kranji Farm Resort every year.

Bollywood Veggies in Neo Tiew Road, owned by former Netball Singapore president Ivy Singh-Lim, added the Poison Ivy bistro to its premises in 2004. A culinary school is on the cards.

The bistro brings in about $400,000 a year. The money is used to cover expenses like rent and wages.

Green Valley Farm at Bah Soon Pah Road in Sembawang opened a cafe serving finger food, made with its produce, last year.

It may also introduce farm stays, said Mr Casey Oh, one of the owners.

Over at Nyee Phoe Flower Garden in Kranji, the three-year-old Petals and Leaves Bistro is rented out for retreats and weddings. Farm stays are also planned.

Nyee Phoe Group's business development manager, MrKenny Eng, said: 'Why should someone come to a farm to buy something rather than go to the supermarket? It must be to experience a different lifestyle.'

This is what engineer Sentiono Tan, 43, and his family hanker for on their visits to the Kranji farms. His daughters aged four, eight and 10 are thrilled to see animals like goats there, he said.

'It's something different to do in our free time besides shopping. It would be nice for families if more farms had places to eat and stay.'

Agri-tainment is good for the farms here, said Mr Eng, adding that more players and public awareness will help sustain these businesses. The additional source of income will also help to cover utilities and other bills.

'Agriculture is a tough industry in Singapore and we need more like-minded players. We need everybody to prosper,' he said.

Mandai's Orchidville orchid farm, for instance, has doubled its weekly visitors to 500 since its restaurant, Forrest, opened six months ago. Takings from the sale of orchids have also doubled to $5,000 every weekend.

The extra income has cushioned it against higher oil and fertiliser prices.

Its managing director, MrJoseph Phua, said the farm's dining facilities encouraged visitors to linger.

'That encourages them to buy more flowers. It's a good synergy,' he said.

He sees agri-tainment as a way of keeping a more relaxed way of life alive here, where things zip along at a hectic pace.

Ms Singh-Lim, who also heads the Kranji Countryside Association, agreed, saying that the rural atmosphere must be retained even as agri-tainment grows.

'We are trying to make sure that this doesn't become another Sentosa,' she said.

Capitalise on limited farmland
Letter from Anthony Leong Chee-Hong, Straits Times Forum 22 Apr 08;

I REFER to the report, 'Farm fun on S'pore vacations', last Monday.

Although there are high-value export-based ornamental fish and orchid farms in agrotechnology parks, we should encourage more market gardening and animal husbandry. It must be done with an emphasis on technology with resultant high yields.

Although we can never hope to be self-sufficient in food supplies, high-tech agriculture enables us to contribute to our vegetable supplies. It also helps alleviate shortages in times of crisis.

Valuable farmland should not end up being used to provide weekend entertainment for city folk, although it is important for the young to understand and appreciate the importance of agriculture.

Related articles

S'pore's first farm resort in Lim Chu Kang to offer villas
Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia, 8 Apr 08

Read more!

Singapore Senoko Power joins UN green network initiative

Business Times 14 Apr 08;

SINGAPORE generating company Senoko Power is one of only five corporations worldwide among the founders of a new UN initiative.

The Carbon Neutral Network is a web-based information exchange for entities that want to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to zero. And Senoko is carrying the Singapore flag.

The network, launched at an environment ministers' meeting in Monaco in February this year, counts just four countries and a handful of cities and companies as members so far. The countries are Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand and Norway.

The network also counts four cities as founding members. They are Arendal, a seaside town in Norway; Rizhao, a port city in China; Vancouver in Canada; and Vaxjo, a university town in Sweden. 'We joined the network because Senoko is a genuine triple-bottomline company concerned not only with our economic performance but also our impact on the environment and society', a Senoko spokesman said. He said neither Senoko nor other network members are required to commit themselves to emission reductions. However, over the years Senoko has voluntarily taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint 'out of a moral obligation to the Earth'. For example, it re-powered three oil-fired steam plants as gas-fired combined cycle plants that are more efficient and have higher generation capacity.

Read more!

Public Transport: The Vital connection

Dr Ooi Giok Ling, Today Online 14 Apr 08;

The debate on how to persuade car owners to forsake their vehicles and opt for public transport is intriguing.

Behavioural change is an area of policy impact that continues to challenge all governments. In Singapore, the long-standing Courtesy campaign has been made over into the Kindness campaign. The anti-littering campaign has seen thousands of corrective work orders issued over the years. There are also efforts to discourage smoking in public, keep toilets clean and recycle.

What then are the prospects for influencing behavioural change among car owners?

Much of the effort in keeping cars off the road has focused on financial deterrents on ownership and usage. These have managed traffic congestion and maintained credibly high travelling speeds even in busy parts of the city. But they have, over the years, given cars and car ownership a "prestige" status.

Car owners are generally viewed to be better off than the people commuting via public transport since they can afford these high-priced consumer goods. In Singapore, I have been constantly told that material considerations continue to be important measures of success.

The effort to step up the frequency of bus and train services can be helpful to get working commuters to trade their cars for public transport.

Greater use of information network intelligence to up the marksmanship of taxis, in terms of where passengers are waiting in queues, can also help.

But the effort to make commuting via bus, train and taxi more seamless should also contribute toward persuading car owners that they are not making sound decisions in keeping their vehicles. This means the connecting points among the different modes of public transport as well as the location of bus stops and pick-up points should be as convenient as possible.

Connectivity is a key factor in whether car owners are going to think of public transport as a viable and convenient alternative. Information network intelligence here is crucial — if a car owner has never travelled on a bus or train before, he or she may be clueless about which services to take to their destinations.

Services ranging from hotlines to Internet sites and podcasts will be important to keep car owners informed about how they can reach their destination more conveniently and less stressfully via bus, train and taxi. Public transport providers need to do more to generate higher ridership figures. The taxi service also needs to professionalise — and fast — with regards to taking the shortest and most pleasant routes. Cabbies could even keep passengers informed where they can take trains or buses to their destinations.

In short, public transport providers have to do more than keeping services running and disruptions to a minimum while reporting healthy revenues to their boards and shareholders. They should be required to bring about healthy increases in ridership annually, which can be achieved by upping service standards to keep commuters coming back for more rides.

The proposal to give car owners cash rebates when they scrap their cars is an option that is being debated. Another option would be to offer car owners shares in public transport companies or bus, train and taxi rebates. This option links car owners and the effort to take cars off the road directly to public transport.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim has pointed out it is unsustainable to continue to widen roads or cut more of these through heritage and historical sites or residential areas. Not only will noise pollution become a major headache and lower the value of homes located near busy flyways and byways, the urban and social fabric of our city will be harshly affected.

Compare Holland Village and aspiring bohemian places such as Upper Thomson, Balestier, Siglap and Joo Chiat. Having six-lane roads separating shops and eateries make for a less congenial environment compared to narrower two-lane roads for pedestrians to cross comfortably.

More effort has to be made to make car owners feel virtuous about giving up their cars in terms of how much more sustainable our city can become. The challenge is in getting car owners to make a lifestyle change and take that short walk to an MRT station or a bus stop.

Sustainability is not an everyday thought that occurs to car drivers, but it has to be translated urgently into terms that they can understand. This is crucial if the aim is to ultimately bring about behavioural changes not only among Singapore car drivers but also consumers of products with high carbon footprints.

The writer is a professor in humanities and social studies at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. The views expressed are her own.

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Is the price of rice attracting freeloaders at free meals?

Is the price of rice... ATTRACTING FREELOADERS?
Some admit that they're there simply to save money, even if they can afford it
Crystal Chan, The New Paper 14 Apr 08;

THE rise in the price of rice and noodles seems to be bringing out opportunists hoping to score free meals meant for the needy.

Staff members at temples and charitable organisations which offer free vegetarian meals to the needy said that they have seen a spike in the number of people heading to their dining halls.

And many of them aren't as needy as they would have you believe.

Singapore Buddhist Lodge president Lee Bock Guan told The New Paper on Sunday that since the price increases, the Lodge has seen the number of people taking its free meals go up by 30 per cent.

The temple, at Kim Yam Road, now serves about 1,300 people a day, up from 1,000.

Mr Lee said: 'Some of these people have breakfast, lunch and dinner here every day. We see people from all walks of life, including foreign workers, security guards and even rich businessmen.

'One reason is that rice and noodles are more expensive, so these people are saving money by eating here.'

When The New Paper on Sunday visited the temple on Thursday afternoon, both the first and second storeys were packed with people tucking into the array of vegetarian food.

SAVING MONEY

One of them, cabby John Ng, 54, said: 'If I were to have rice or noodles in a coffee shop in this area, it would cost me at least $5. But if I eat here, it's free. Since I happened to drive a passenger here, it's convenient to eat here.

'Meat isn't served but I'm used to the taste of vegetarian food.'

There were other visitors who admitted to living off the organisation's charity.

A 48-year-old unemployed man, who asked to be known only as Mr Tan, said: 'I've not been able to get a job so I fill my stomach here. I spend my time at the temple's library in between meals before walking back to my flat in Havelock Road after dinner.'

The temple, which has been providing free meals since 1974, also gives the needy free rations of rice, vegetables and oil.

Over at the Central Sikh Gurdwara at Jalan Bukit Merah, also known as the Silat Road Sikh Temple, the demand for its free daily meals has also gone up.

A devotee who volunteers at the temple said: 'Previously, we had about 300 people coming here for lunch. Now, it's more like 500, probably because food is more expensive.

'The lunch crowd is heavier than at dinner times because office workers also come here to eat. We have staff members from SGH (Singapore General Hospital) too.'

The devotee, who declined to be named, added that the temple buys its food using money donated by the Sikh community, and that a free kitchen is a basic tenet of the religion.

The Central Sikh Gurdwara's president declined comment.

ENOUGH SUPPLY

How are such groups able to bear the strain of rising prices?

Charitable organisations such as the Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society said that they have no choice.

The voluntary welfare group, which has meal centres in MacPherson, Toa Payoh and Telok Blangah, serves free vegetarian lunches to the needy. It relies on its own funds and people donating rice and vermicelli to help its needy.

Its chairman, Mr Lee Kim Siang, said the MacPherson centre sees more people than the other outlets because there are more needy residents in the area.

He said: 'The MacPherson centre gets about 70 people a day compared to 45 for the others, but the increase in demand is only about two more persons a day. For now, we're coping with the price increments of rice and vermicelli.

'Our intention is to provide free meals to the needy and we'll continue absorbing the costs.'

At the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, Mr Lee said that his temple does not need to worry because most of its food supply is from donations.

Every week, gunny sacks of rice and packets of vermicelli are donated by devotees to the temple. And despite the recent price spikes, the amount of food donated has remained constant, Mr Lee said.

He added that the additional number of people taking its free meals has not overwhelmed the temple's workers because they have enough volunteers to cook.

Visitors are not obliged to donate to eat there.

Mr Lee said: 'It's up to these people to donate. Some may be genuinely poor. Providing free meals is a way of helping them.'

Read more!

More in Singapore opting for frozen meats

Straits Times 14 Apr 08;

Up to 30% more frozen pork and chicken sold by supermart chains since start of AVA drive in February

CONSUMERS are warming to the idea of choosing frozen over chilled meat as a way of fighting rising prices.

Supermarket chains, including Cold Storage, NTUC FairPrice and Giant, have sold up to 30 per cent more frozen meat since the start of the 'Eat well for less, choose frozen meat' drive by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) in February.

Sales of frozen chicken wings at Cold Storage have gone up by 30 per cent from two months ago. Carrefour, too, has seen 3,000 more packs of frozen pork carted out in that same period.

Frozen food has increasingly gained favour here. Last year, each person on average consumed 18.9kg of frozen and 13.8kg of chilled chicken; each also ate a third more frozen than chilled pork. These two are the most popular meats here.

AVA spokesman Goh Shih Yong said the increase in numbers is positive, because it means people have accepted that switching does not mean compromising on nutritional value and taste.

Frozen meat suppliers, which sell to both supermarkets and wet markets, are also doing well, with sales going up by at least 15 per cent.

One of them is home-grown Ong Joo Joo Food Industries, which supplies frozen pork to chains like Cold Storage and FairPrice.

Managing director Ting Puong Huat said that demand for frozen pork has quadrupled since the start of this year, with 160 tonnes sold last month, compared to 40 tonnes sold in January. He expects to sell up to 240tonnes from now till June.

He noted that supermarkets have beefed up their range of frozen foods of late, which could help to push sales.

Some supermarkets have increased their frozen meat selections by up to 20 per cent. Last month, FairPrice added blue shark steaks and hake fillets from Namibia, among other items, to its range. The chain's 80 stores now carry about 1,000 types of frozen products.

But even as consumers buy into the idea of saving money by switching to frozen meat, they will have to be ready for prices of these products to go up. Frozen chicken mid-joint wings, for example, which went for $5.45 a kg at FairPrice last year, now cost $5.80.

Prices are likely to keep heading north, said Mr Liew Yew Fah, director of meat supplier Pin Corporation.

The reason: surging oil prices and rising crop prices in Brazil, which supplies more than half of Singapore's poultry. As a result, feed for poultry and pigs is more expensive and the cost for shipping them here has gone up.

But even with the hikes, frozen meat will still cost up to 40 per cent less than chilled. Frozen pork belly at Cold Storage, for instance, costs $8.80 per kg. The chilled cut costs $11.30.

Going frozen has paid off for many, including Madam Stella Woon, 61. The retiree, who cooks two meals a day, made the switch last month. Her meat bill was cut by almost half. She said: 'To get frozen meat that's cheaper and tastes just as good as, if not fresher than, chilled meat makes economic sense.'

Read more!

Nuclear plants sucking the sea life from British waters, researchers claim

Robin Pagnamenta, Peter Stiff and Lewis Smith, The Times 14 Apr 08;

The nuclear industry in Britain is killing billions of fish every year and taking a devastating toll of stocks, an Oxford University academic suggests.

The impact can be so severe in the worst-affected regions of the seas around Britain that death rates are equivalent to half the commercial catch for some species.

Coastal power plants that have cooling systems that extract water from the sea are to blame for the destruction, according to Peter Henderson, an environmental researcher. Figures he has compiled suggest that the damage to fish stocks is much more severe than records have indicated previously. He calculated that had the young fish killed in power stations survived they would have added thousands of tonnes of fish annually to Britain’s stocks.

With a new generation of nuclear power stations likely to be built over the next 20 years the threat posed to fish stocks needed to be addressed urgently, he said. The net impact on fish populations was poorly understood because too few studies had been carried out.

Dr Henderson is concerned that too little account is taken of the impact on fish stocks of the deaths of many billions of eggs and young caused by coastal power plants, both nuclear and conventional.

The number, weight and species of fish and crustaceans removed from filters at power plants can be measured accurately, but it is much harder to assess the impact of the deaths of eggs, larvae and small fish.

“The number of animals killed is colossal,” Dr Henderson, an associate lecturer at the University of Oxford and director of the Pisces Conservation environmental consultancy, said. “Very small fish get sucked in in very large numbers.”

The impact on populations is compounded by the loss of prawns and shrimps which, like young fish and eggs, form an important part of the diet of larger animals. At Dungeness nuclear power station at Romney Marsh, Kent, where huge numbers of sprats are known to form shoals, the outfall pipes have been known to become clogged with dead fish. “We are talking as many as 250 million fish in as little as five hours,” Dr Henderson said.

In the southern region of the North Sea it was calculated that the mortality of eggs and young was so high for sole that it had been equal to 46 per cent of commercial fishing. Similarly, herring mortality off parts of the East Coast was 50 per cent of commercial landings.

Dr Henderson also identified the English Channel as a badly affected region because of the number of nuclear power stations on the coast on both sides of the Channel. Coal-fired stations and other installations such as those in the petrochemical industry present similar problems, but nuclear plants are among the biggest extractors of water.

Water is pumped from the seas in vast quantities, with British nuclear plants extracting at up to 60 cubic metres (2,100 cubic ft) per second. The Gravelines plant on the French north coast pumps at up to 120 cubic metres per second.

Once the water has been used to cool the reactors it is pumped back into the sea where, having been warmed up, it attracts a variety of marine creatures, many of which get caught up in the intake systems and killed. Fish that are too young or too small to be caught by the 1cm mesh screens – especially pipe fish and eels – travel through them, as do eggs and larvae, and pass into the reactors’ cooling pipes. Many die after being heated to 30C (86F), chlorinated and given small doses of radiation.

The toll of fish stocks can be avoided at new nuclear plants with the introduction of dry-cooling, said Dr Henderson, who called for this method to be adopted, despite the higher costs, if another generation of nuclear power plants is built.

Callum Roberts, Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of York, said that the report, which had not been subjected to peer review, raised serious questions about the role of nuclear and other power stations in damaging fish stocks. “I think it’s interesting that the quantity taken by the power stations is large, especially if you look at the possible cost in the future [of] prematurely killing these fish,” he said.

“It has become more significant over the years because of the decline of inshore stocks and, indeed, of the decline of some species going so far that they are reaching the status of becoming endangered, like the eel. We have to look at this problem.”

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has been commissioned recently to carry out an environmental survey of the waters near where four new nuclear plants are expected to be proposed. British Energy commissioned the survey to check which fish and other marine animals were found around Sizewell, Dungeness, Hinkley Point and Bradwell. Researchers will attempt to establish the quantity of fish in the four areas, how nuclear plants have affected them in the past and what impact could be expected if new power stations were built there.

“All of these sites are suitable for new nuclear power stations,” said Sue Fletcher, of British Energy, who maintained that the industry would “strongly contest” any suggestion that unsustainable quantities of fish were killed in cooling systems. A spokesman for Magnox, the operator of a coastal nuclear plant at Wylfa on the Isle of Anglesey, said that the group undertook “extensive monitoring activities”.

Emily Lewis-Brown, a marine campaigner for WWF, the wildlife charity, said it was concerned that coastal power stations represented a frequently overlooked, additional burden on British fish populations. “There is evidence to suggest that when power stations stop killing fish, local populations start doing better,” she said.

Read more!

Environment faces another threat: global recession

Matthrew Phan, Business Times 14 Apr 08;

A GLOBAL recession could hurt investments in environmental companies and pose a short-term obstacle to tackling climate change, according to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) executive director Achim Steiner.

'We have to be aware of the potential damage that might occur to global investments in renewables, clean energy and the sustainability agenda generally if the world does plunge into recession,' he said in a recent e-mail interview.

Groupings like the Global Compact or the UNEP- inspired Principles for Responsible Investment now have some 300 institutions, with US$13 trillion of assets, under them.

And according to the UN, fifty US and European investors managing US$1.75 trillion in assets recently made a commitment to invest US$10 billion more in energy efficiency and clean energy technologies over the next two years.

A 'green economy' is emerging, said Mr Steiner, 'but it is not guaranteed, and needs to be nurtured'.

Another environment- linked macroeconomic concern is inflation - specifically that surrounding food supplies and food costs.

Climatic events have exacerbated this, as agricultural countries like Australia and China have recently suffered from prolonged drought and flooding.

To resolve the debate of whether growing crops for fuel cuts off food supplies to the poor, the UNEP is launching a new initiative - the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources Panel - to undertake life-cycle assessment of bio-fuels.

'We need to underline, in this recession-jittery moment, that in tackling climate change, we are addressing a wide range of other key issues from bio-diversity loss and land degradation to water shortages, air pollution and marine environment issues,' said Mr Steiner.

'If we do not overcome the climate change challenge, the boom-and-bust cycles of the past will be nothing compared to the bust cycles of the future,' the UNEP chief added.

Read more!

EU to meet biofuel goal, but won't touch food

Business Times 14 Apr 08;

(BRDO, Slovenia) The European Union can meet its 2020 target to get one-tenth of all transport fuel from biofuels without adding to soaring food prices and harming rainforests, the EU's environment chief said on Saturday.

EU leaders agreed on the target last year in an effort to fight climate change, and ministers are now debating how to reach the goal while avoiding unwanted trade-offs such as stealing land from food production and rainforests.

Scientists at the European Environment Agency, the EU body which advises on the environment, recommended on Thursday that the target be dropped.

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas acknowledged the EEA report but remained supportive of the target. 'It's well-intentioned. If you have the sustainability provision I think it's perfectly alright.'

The European Commission proposed in January certain minimum biofuel standards - or sustainability criteria - and fresh proposals are expected for an EU meeting on May 7.

The draft standards included a condition that biofuels must cut emissions by at least 35 per cent, not threaten rainforests and take account of food prices. Possible new amendments included an emissions cut compared to petrol of 40-50 per cent, various sources close to the talks said on Saturday.

German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel was also supportive. 'We can meet the 10 per cent target through biofuel production in the European Union (and imports) . . . which do not lead to a conflict with food or rainforests,' he said. -- Reuters

EU defends biofuel goals amid food crises
Yahoo News 14 Apr 08;

The EU Commission on Monday rejected claims that producing biofuels is a "crime against humanity" that threatens food supplies, and vowed to stick to its goals as part of a climate change package.

"There is no question for now of suspending the target fixed for biofuels," said Barbara Helfferich, spokeswoman for EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

"You can't change a political objective without risking a debate on all the other objectives," which could see the EU landmark climate change and energy package disintegrate, an EU official said.

Their comments came amid growing unease over the planting of biofuel crops as food prices rocket and riots against poverty and hunger multiply worldwide.

UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Food Jean Ziegler told German radio Monday that the production of biofuels is "a crime against humanity" because of its impact on global food prices.

EU leaders, seeking to show the way on global warming, have pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent by 2020.

As part of a package of measures the 27 member states have set a target of biofuels making up 10 percent of automobile fuel by the same year.

"We don't have an enormous danger of too much of a shift from food production to biofuels production," said Michael Mann, spokesman for EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.

Mann, like Helfferich speaking to reporters in Brussels, stressed that the 10 percent target would in part be achieved through higher yields and increased production.

Ziegler also accused the European Union of subsidising its agriculture exports with effect of undermining production in Africa.

"The EU finances the exports of European agricultural surpluses to Africa ... where they are offered at one half or one third of their (production) price," the UN official charged.

"That completely ruins African agriculture," he added.

In recent months, rising food costs have sparked violent protests in Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritania, the Philippines and other countries.

In Pakistan and Thailand, troops have been deployed to avoid the seizure of food from fields and warehouses, while price increases fuelled a general strike in Burkina Faso.

The European Environment Agency, advisors to the European Commission, on Friday recommended that the EU suspend its 10 percent biofuels target.

It argued that the target would require large amounts of additional imports of biofuels leading to the accelerated destruction of rain forests. The agency also questioned the environmental benefits of biofuels.

Also in a recent report the World Bank said bluntly "biofuel production has pushed up feedstock prices".

Meanhwile Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, head of Nestle, the world's biggest food and beverage company, last month argued that "to grant enormous subsidies for biofuel production is morally unacceptable and irresponsible".

"There will be nothing left to eat," he added.

European leaders are aware of the growing body of opinion opposed to biofuels but Dimas has stressed the use of "second generation" biofuels; including leaves, straw and pond algae.

The first generation of green fuels -- biodiesel and ethanol-- are made from wheat, maize, colza, sugar beet etc, also used for human and animal feed.

However, according to French Ecology Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the methods for utilising the second generation sources are far from complete.

"That will take 10 to 20 years," she told AFP.

The 27 EU nations are due on May 7 to approve strict criteria for the production of biofuels, according to the European Commission.

Speaking in Luxembourg on Monday French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier, meeting with his EU counterparts, said that food production must be the priority.

Read more!

African-bound cyclists to raise awareness about climate change

Channel NewsAsia 13 Apr 08;

SINGAPORE : Two German nationals are embarking on a year-long journey around Africa on their bicycles from Monday.

Ragna Schmidt-Haupt, 30, and Amiram Roth-Deblon, 33, are based in Singapore. Their aim is to raise awareness about global warming and climate change. The duo have chosen Africa, saying it is the continent which is most badly affected by climate change.

They will collect video messages from children in Ethiopia and Kenya, and these will be presented at the G8 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan, later this year.

Ragna and Amiram have also come up with S$10,000 each for the trip, and have spent months getting themselves into shape.

Ragna said: "The biggest challenge is probably the physical challenge. We are going to be cycling through mountains, we will be cycling through deserts, we will be cycling through long stretches but there's not going to be a lot of water."

Amiram said: "Second is of course, traffic in big cities can be quite challenging. And then of course malaria, when you don't get a vaccine. That's why we have mosquito-repellent clothing, we sleep in a mosquito net in our tent."

But they are ready to fulfil a dream of travelling to Africa and to raise awareness of how to reverse the negative effects of the climate change.

One way is to use solar panels to produce renewable energy. The panels will be attached to the back of their bikes, to absorb the energy from the sun which will be used to charge their equipment.

This will be their only source of power during the trip which will be used to charge their phones, cameras, and the GPS system.

The pair will also give talks about solar energy.

Amiram added: "We have already established contacts with people from the solar industry in Ethiopia, in Kenya ... we will probably conduct some workshops."

Amiram and Ragna will also plant at least 10 trees in every country they cycle through, as a symbol of what can be done to reverse the effects of deforestation.

It is also part of the United Nations Environmental Programme's one billion tree campaign which aims to have at least one billion trees planted worldwide every year.

According to Amiram, trees in Africa have been cut down to some 10 percent of its original numbers since the 1990s. So re-planting them is the only solution.

Amiram said: "Already some schools in Germany, and some colleagues in Singapore have been inspired and they told us,"we like the idea, please plant some trees for us." So we collect some money and we plant trees on their behalf."

Another part of their green message is their "vehicles". They are cycling to promote sustainable transport systems.

Amiram, who rides his bike to work daily in Singapore, believes it is something which can be done.

You can support their cause and track their journey by logging on to their website http://www.cycle-generation.org/

CNA/de

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Bangladesh introduces improved stove to save fuel

Reuters 13 Apr 08;

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh has introduced an improved cooking stove that will consume 50 percent less of the biomass used for cooking in rural areas, a senior official said on Sunday.

"About 95 percent of Bangladesh, with 145 million people, uses traditional fuels like cow dung, agricultural wastage and wood totalling 60 million tonnes most inefficiently, worth 100 billion taka ($1.46 billion)," said Erich Otto Gomm, program coordinator in Bangladesh of German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

The ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, with the financial and technical assistance of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, through GTZ, introduced an environmentally friendly stove that also saves biomass by more than 50 percent, he said.

"Poorly ventilated clay stoves that produce smoke, carbon monoxide and carcinogens pose a serious health threat to women and children," Erich told a news conference.

He said that according to the World Health Organization, 46,000 women and children in Bangladesh die each year, while millions more suffer from respiratory, tuberculosis and cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer due to the "killer in the kitchen".

"Biomass is also becoming increasingly scarce and costly, putting pressure on the farmers to use more chemical fertilizer instead of bio-fertilizer," said Khaleq Uzzaman, senior adviser of Sustainable Energy for Development (SED).

The SED launched a countrywide program to popularize the improved cooking stoves developed by the state-run Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and later modified by the GTZ.

Khaleq said so far 35,000 stoves have been sold and installed across the country and now up to 10,000 were being built every month.

"Our aim is to build 1 million stoves over the next three years," he said, and hoped to have one in every rural Bangladeshi home by the end of 2018.

Currently, only 6 percent of the population has access to natural gas, primarily in urban areas, he told reporters.

($1=68.58 taka)

(Reporting by Serajul Islam Quadir; Writing by Anis Ahmed, editing by Will Waterman)

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Environmental lobbying in China

To go green is glorious
BBC News 13 Apr 08;

From Tibetan monks to human rights activists, recent events have shown that China can still be a dangerous place to be vocal. But when it comes to environmental lobbying, there are signs the system may be changing, reports Mukul Devichand.

In the shadow of the Great Wall of China, I watch men in blue overalls hack at the soil of the forest floor and carefully plant new saplings.

They are trying to restore this depleted ancient woodland to the high international standards of the Forest Stewardship Council.

Sustainable forests like this are a symbol of how things are slowly being changed by the new kids on the political block in China: green activists.

Charismatic campaigner Wen Bo has lobbied against deforestation, which he says has caused violent dust storms and floods - and a host of other effects.

He is not like most Chinese politicos, with a stylish haircut and a fleece jacket rather than a Mao suit. But what really sets him apart is the language he uses.

"We are not passively being governed, being ruled by the government," he told me. "We have our rights."

This is electric stuff in the world's biggest one-party state. Some outsiders hope that movements like his will give birth to a civil society - and even democracy - in repressive China.

They hope that China's reaction to the epic environmental consequences of its growth - with a quarter of drinking water contaminated - will allow people power to break free and put a brake on pollution.

But on a visit to Beijing to meet activists and experts on the environmental movement, I found it hard to gauge the size and effectiveness of this new green political space.

The limits of tolerance

None of the environmentalists I spoke to risk lobbying for democracy or challenging the political system overtly.

"That would be like throwing an egg against a stone," says Wen Bo.

Instead they work together with officials who will listen. The activists say their ideas, such as "public participation," fit into a Communist Party framework.

It seems to be working somewhat on paper, with the central government recently upgrading the main environmental agency to a ministry.

Official statistics say there are now over 2,000 "green" NGOs. One unofficial study says there are up to two million informal groups of students, farmers or other activists. Several campaigns have received positive coverage in the state-controlled media.

But Wen Bo told me intelligence agents sometimes pose as green volunteers to keep an eye on what's going on.

And it's still not unusual to see activists arrested - one was recently charged with subversion. So is green politics making any real difference?

A Chinese Erin Brockovich

Zhang Jingjing, who works at a centre that helps pollution victims get legal aid, has been called the Erin Brockovich of China because of some famous victories in class action cases.

In 2005 she worked with the centre's boss, Wang Canfa, to help residents of a village in Fujian Province successfully sue a factory for compensation.

The factory was poisoning local crops with chromium - the same chemical Ms Brockovich fought in California.

But Ms Zhang sees limits to China's "green political space" because of the clout polluters have with local governments and judges.

In a country focussed on economic growth, factories and developers allow local officials to boost their area's GDP figures. The officials in turn pressurise judges.

"We have no independent judiciary, that is our problem," she says.

Because local officials and judges often side with polluters, the greens see central government as their ally. It's an internal power struggle in China that outsiders rarely see.

Outsourcing harm

So although the activists do challenge the government, they themselves say it would be premature to call them a democracy movement.

Instead they are seeking much more basic mechanisms of accountability, like planning law and public hearings, which still don't exist in China.

What's more, many Chinese green activists don't see their own system as the sole cause of the problem. Instead, they blame the West.

I met Xiao Wei, the popstar whose message of love and green harmony inspired several of the 30-something activists I'd met, back when they were teenagers.

Given his soft style and hippy lyrics, I expected him to rail against the consumerism of today's China, with its 10-lane highways and enormous shopping malls.

Instead he said: "Everybody has the right to pursue a good life, to buy a big house or a car if they want to."

He pointed out that China is still a developing country and that much of the pollution is actually caused by factories which make products for the West. The waste generated by "Made in China" products is left for Chinese people to deal with.

Chinese environmental groups call this "the outsourcing of harm".

Technological solutions

The basic dilemma for China is that polluting factories mean cheap exports, and potentially more jobs for the 300 million still living on less than $1 a day.

Chinese green groups often face the taunt that they put nature above the needs of the poor.

But Lo Sze Ping, the young director of Greenpeace's Beijing branch, thinks this very dilemma will force China's ecologists to come up with creative technological solutions.

"Imagine if China could produce solar panels just like China is producing DVD players now," he says.

"It would genuinely kick-start an energy revolution, not just in China but for the world."

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